If you're not the biggest fake tan fan (AKA can't be bothered to apply it) and have no tropical holidays booked (Bali, anyone?) it might be time to invest in Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops. Or - better yet - if you're looking for the best beauty dupes, Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupes.
The Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops went viral on TikTok when every make-up influencer revealed their sunkissed complexion after mixing just a few drops into their moisturiser. Apart from giving you a quite literal glow-up, the drops are also full of antioxidants and omega fatty acids, protecting your skin from pollution and environmental stressors. The major downside? The £31 price tag. Oh, and the fact that it's out of stock, everywhere.
heat's best Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupes at a glance:
Best overall Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe: NYX Born To Glow Liquid Highlighter, £8 on Boots
Best new Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe: Makeup Revolution Bright Light Bronzing Drops, £9.99 on Revolution Beauty
Best budget Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe: Lottie London Hot Glaze Bronzing Drops, £8.95 on Lottie London
As much as we love to treat ourselves to a bit of luxury, the internet has taught us the way of affordable alternatives, much like the viral Dior lip oil dupe that we're not at all mad about. So, while we'd love to fork out £31 for a sunkissed face our beauty experts have shed light on the very best Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupes. And, they're basically as good as the real thing, at a fraction of the price. And still in stock.
So, read on to shop the best D-Bronzi Bronzing Drop dupes below for a trip to Santorini, in a bottle. Add your NARS Orgasm dupe as a radiant blush, and you've got your dewy summer look down. As chosen by the internet and our beauty experts, here are the best Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupes.
SHOP: The Best Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupes
Best overall Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe
www.boots.com
Shine from within with the NYX Born To Glow Liquid Illuminator Glowy Highlighter. It's the most affordable dupe on our list and it's currently being hailed as a dupe for Drunk Elephant. Available in four shades, add a few drops to your moisturiser and prepare for a next-level glow. Perfect for everyday use, one reviewer had been using this product for over a month and reaches for it every day. They found that a little bit goes a long way and they love the sunkissed, shimmery effect it leaves.
Pros
- Affordable price point compared to other products on our list
- Highly pigmented
- Lightweight formula
Cons
- Some users found it too glittery
Best new Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe
www.revolutionbeauty.com
Makeup Revolution gets it right every time with a beauty dupe. The new Bright Light Bronzing Drops add instant radiance to the skin and can be used in many ways. This super hydrating formula combines skincare ingredients like squalane, hyaluronic acid and grapeseed to enhance the natural glow on the skin. Available in two shades to suit a range of skin tones, you'll look sun-kissed and bronzy all year round. A fan of the new product called it a 'game changer', with another saying 'it gives a natural healthy glow, minus the glitter'.
Pros
- Infused with nourishing skincare ingredients
- Great price point
- Multipurpose product
Cons
- Only available in two shades
Best budget Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe
www.urbanoutfitters.com
For an easy-to-blend and divinely nourishing bronzing serum, Lottie London's new launch ticks all of our boxes. It has a grown-up 'holiday coconut' smell without being too overpowering and has plenty of do-good ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to hydrate. Our Shopping Editor Aimee Jakes found that Lottie London's Hot Glaze gave her an instant, summer-worthy, bronzed glow you’ve been dreaming of' – no vacay needed. As well as giving an immediate sunkissed bronze, it is also packed with plenty of do-good skincare ingredients including hyaluronic acid, coconut Extract and Niacinamide to nourish and hydrate the skin.
Read our full Lottie London Hot Glaze review, here.
Pros
- Plenty of hydrating ingredients
- Very affordable
- Easy to blend
Cons
- Needs a lot of product for a really dark tan
Best multipurpose Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe
glowhub.com
When our Beauty Writer Samantha Price tested Glow Hub's Beam Dew, she knew it'd be a dupe for Drunk Elephant's Bronzing Drops: "I got the opportunity to try this in the shade Sun Beam, and straight away saw how glowy and bronzed it made my skin look. It can be mixed with your fave foundation to warm up your shade, or as a bronzer over the top of your foundation. It comes in loads of different shades as well, so you can even get a lighter shade to use as a highlighter. The Baby Beam Dew Filter Glow Base makes a gorgeous glowy bronzer for your makeup look."
Pros
- Comes in a few different shades
- Packed with skin loving ingredients
- Can be used as primer, highlighter or bronzer
Cons
- Does apply a little dry
Best similar Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe
www.cultbeauty.co.uk
We're obsessed with everything to do with Milk Makeup, and these drops are no exception. The bionic bronzer is infused with hyaluronic acid, resulting in a lightweight, hydrating and bronzing finish. Plus, it's nearly identical to the Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops, but cheaper, making it the closest dupe on our list. One reviewer who is typically wary of cream bronzers tried this product and was pleasantly surprised with how lightweight the formula felt. They were also impressed with the shade range to suit their fair skin and how the shade 'Time Travel' works perfectly.
Pros
- Infused with hyaluronic acid
- Different shades available
- Derived from natural ingredients
Cons
- Some wished it to be more pigmented
Best recommended Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe
www.boots.com
The OG Drunk Elephant dupe from Indeed Labs made its rounds on TikTok as one of the best alternatives - and we can totally see why. The Nanobronze drops instantly bronze, blur and hydrate the skin, while simultaneously protecting you from environmental stressors. Two in one? We'll take it. One reviewer stated that this is a sure dupe for the product, just at a cheaper price point.
Pros
- Protects skin from environmental stressors
- Free from silicones, phthalates and parabens
- Easily blendable
Cons
- Too pigmented for some
Best Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe with shade choice
www.cultbeauty.co.uk
When it comes to glowy, radiant formulas, Iconic London is our go-to. With six gorgeous shades to choose from, all you need is a few drops to contour, and bronze, for that fresh-from-the-Maldives look. A little goes a long way with this formula, but it's buildable for the desired effect. Yes, it's that pigmented. We love to see plenty of positive reviews with one raving about the natural and pretty finish it leaves on the skin. They found that this product blends easily and leaves a subtle glow. With recommendations like this we can be sure to pop one straight in our basket.
Pros
- Infused with detoxifying extracts
- Different shades available
- Dewy finish
Cons
- Too sheer for one reviewer
Best Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe for a dewy finish
www.selfridges.com
Choose shades Bronze Jasper or Honey Citrine for a bronzy glow that'll cost you less than Drunk Elephant. And, it's Fenty - what more could we want? A few drops deliver instant, natural-looking illumination while skin-loving ingredients hydrate, help reduce the look of pores, and brighten over time. One reviewer even compared the shade 'Bronze Jasper' to the Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops.
Pros
- Infused with 'skin loving' ingredients
- Different shades available
- Dewy finish
Cons
- Lighter shades will be underwhelming
Best Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe for a natural glow
www.lookfantastic.com
This bronzed formula from Pai Skincare is infused with light-reflecting particles, for a jaw-dropping radiance. Harnessing the powering hyaluronic acid, your skin will feel plump, glowy, and the infusion of vitamin C will brighten your complexion in an instant. Due to the many skincare ingredients added to this product, we love that reviewers found that their skin felt hydrated and looked plump after using.
Pros
- Affordable price in comparison to others on the list
- Infused with hyaluronic acid
- Vitamin rich formula
Cons
- Too much product can be overwhelming
Best Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe for sensitive skin
www.lookfantastic.com
When we saw that the Clinique Sun-Kissed Face Gelee Complexion Multitasker Universal Glow was a dupe for Drunk Elephant's Bronzing Drops, we ran to add this to our basket. This lightweight gel bronzer hydrates while melting into the skin for that natural-looking radiance. Reviewers say it's the 'perfect summer glow', a great replacement for fake tans if you're looking to give sensitive skin a little kiss of colour.
Pros
- Hydrating formula
- Suitable for all skin types
- Especially perfect for sensitive skin
Cons
- More expensive than Drunk Elephant
Best viral Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupe
www.beautybay.com
If you've been on the hunt for Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drop dupes on TikTok, there's no doubt you will have come across the Bellamianta Illuminating Bronzing Drops. They are everywhere, and it's no wonder why. They're a sure dupe for the original, containing hyaluronic acid and enriched with detoxifying ingredients to nourish while you glow. We love that it contains light-reflecting pearls to give skin that naturally radiant look. Sunkissed skin in a bottle.
Pros
- Features concentrated light-reflecting pearls
- Enriched with blueberry and pomegranate seed oil
- Infused with hyaluronic acid
Cons
- Not easily accessible
How to use Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops?
According to Drunk Elephant, applying D-Bronzi Bronzing Drops couldn't be more simple.
Either apply it on its own to a bare face where you really need some sun, or, mix it with your favourite moisturiser and apply it all over your face as part of your daily skincare routine. For a naturally sunkissed look, apply it to the highest points of your face where the sun would naturally hit. Think forehead, temples and cheekbones. Then, add a blush. Or in our case, a Rare Beauty blush dupe.
We believe the best way to apply the Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops would be on a bare face or mixed with an oil, moisturiser or SPF for that flawlessly bronzed no-makeup makeup look. The effortless clean girl aesthetic is in at the moment, just take a look at the best Glossier dupes for nailing the 'less is more' effect.
However, the brand also says you can also use it as a regular bronzer. Alternatively, you could also mix it with your foundation if you're wanting to add a deeper shade for the summer. While we're on the topic of dupes, a NARS foundation dupe went viral not too long ago for being a long wear foundation that's suited for warmer months. So, combined with the Drunk Elephant Bronzing Drops, could be the perfect look for you.
Marina Avraam is the Deputy Commercial Content Editor for heat. Hobbies include (but not limited to) finding the best designer dupes, buying every iteration of the adidas gazelles and listening to celeb podcasts every hour of every day.